Force of the Phoenix
by StarShinobi
Summary: After an accident at a beyblading reunion, who will continue standing? A sad one-shot about Kai based of the song At Last by Ella Fitzgerald and picture I saw on deviantart. A little Rei:Mariah on the side. No Yiao.


Yay! I'm back!

It's been a long time but I am back to writing! So, here is something, like I said, based off a song and a picture. I was looking of deviantart .com and saw this picture (http:// aoinokitsune. /art / Beyblade-My-Son-55792837 (no spaces)by AoiNoKitsune). At the exact same time, my music player started playing _At Last_ by Ella Fitzgerald and the story just started flowing. So let me know what you think and please don't drill me too much for Kai's slight OOCness. Remember, it has been about seven or eight years since the show ended when this fic begins. Translations are at the bottom.

Disclaimer: I only own one character, and if you don't know who it is....well...Anastasiya

Warning: One really bad word, injury and angst. If you've read my stuff before you know what to look for from me ^_^

OK GO!!

* * *

"The phoenix hope, can wing her way through the desert skies, and still defying fortune's spite; revive from ashes and rise."

-Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra

* * *

_Twenty-three, where had all of the years gone?_ thought Rei as he blew out the candles that Hilary had placed on his cake. It had been two years since the beyblading teams of the world had reunited and they used Rei's birthday as an excuse to meet again. Rei _was_ the most liked after all.

Cheers filled the room as he blew out all but one candle. There was a laugh that came from Max and the All-Starz, but Rei didn't mind the American superstition. In fact, he hoped it was right as he smiled and squeezed the hand entwined in his, the hand of his fiancé, Mariah's hand. She smiled back at him and started to cut the cake to pass out.

One by one, the other bladers took their piece and said their 'happy birthday's' to the birthday boy before retreating to enjoy their sweet treat. Rei noted each person that he spoke to, knowing what a miracle it was that they were all together. Since the release of Voltaire Hiwatari two years ago, Mr. Dickenson and the rest of the BBA decided that it was best to separate the teams. They felt this would give the man less opportunity to retry his plans.

Unfortunately, it was also two years ago that Mr. Dickenson forced Kai to go into hiding. They had discovered the kinds of experiments that Boris conducted on the Blitzkrieg Boys while they were under his care. After Spenser and Ian died, their bodies were studied. It was found that these experiments caused their deaths and to make a long story short, the team was classified as deadly human weapons that had to be hidden from the man.

Rumors spread that Kai had escaped and was now on the run from both Voltaire and the BBA. Others said that he was locked in a maximum-security prison. Others said that he was dead. Rei hoped that it was not the latter.

"Rei, are you alright?" asked Mariah as she squeezed her future husband's arm. It was his birthday and he looked sad. She wanted to make him feel better.

"Huh?" he said as she pulled him from his thoughts. "Oh, yeah, I'm ok. I was just thinking."

"I know you wish Kai was here," she whispered in his ear. She was one of the few that actually knew how close of a friendship the two bladers had. Rei gave her a smile and pecked her on the lips before returning his attention to the party.

* * *

Half an hour later, Rei looked out the dark window. There had been a storm brewing and it was finally releasing its load onto the city of Hong Kong with tremendous fury. "Thank God we had this at a hotel," said Max clapping his hand on the Chinese blader's shoulder. "It would be nuts going out into that now."

Rei nodded and turned to respond to the blonde blader when his eyes saw the door open and his eyes went wide.

"What is it, Rei?" asked Max as he turned to look in the same direction as his friend. His eyes widened in shock as he took in the same sight.

Across the room, walking through the door was none other than Kai Hiwatari. "K-Kai?" stuttered Max, but the Russian was too far away to hear him. His word did, however, catch the attention of Hilary, Kenny, Daichi and Tyson.

"Wait, Kai is here?" said Kenny.

Everyone stared as a drenched Kai folded an umbrella and held the door for a woman dressed in a long trench coat. She was dry as a bone.

"I don't believe it," mumbled Rei with a smile.

"Wait, Kai isn't gay?" asked Hilary.

"Of course not," said Ray. "Why would you think that?"

"Well, the guy never had a girlfriend, he hangs only with guys, and he's always flocked by fan girls but he always treated them as an annoyance. I mean, it seemed so obvious, he even resisted me," she almost yelled.

"Maybe he thought you were ugly?" said Daichi matter-of-factly.

"Shut your mouth, Monkey Boy!" yelled Hilary while the others laughed. "He didn't notice any of the BBA girls!"

"Hilary," said Kenny, "did you ever think that maybe Kai was picky when it came to girls?"

"No," she said.

"Well, apparently not _that_ picky," said Tyson. "I mean, her coat is huge!"

The others hadn't noticed it before, but the woman's coat was fairly large, suggesting there may be a little more to her than they could see. They watched as Kai hung up his coat and shook the water out of his hair before moving to help the woman that had accompanied him with her coat.

As he took her coat, the others gasped. "S-she's not big…" stuttered Max.

"She's pregnant!" gasped Rei.

This caught the attention of the other bladers as one by one their gazes turned to the pair by the door. Kai offered his arm to the woman and smiled at her as he escorted her toward the group.

"Did he just offer to touch her?" said Max, knowing the Russian didn't like to be touched.

"Did he just smile?" said Daichi.

Kai approached, speaking to the woman on his arm in Russian. She smiled as the pair neared Kai's old team. Rei felt a smile spread across his face as he realized it was not a dream. His good friend was truly here.

"Hey Kai," he said extending his hand to the Russian with a smile.

"Rei," said Kai, his voice still deep, as he grasped Rei's hand. His appearance had changed some. His hair was longer, the back now pulled into a short ponytail at the nape of his neck and the spiking in the front now flattened down. He still wore baggy jeans but he was wearing a black button-down shirt. His armguards were long forgotten as was his trademark scarf, replaced by a cord necklace with a red pendant. His blue tattoos still adorned his face as a reminder of his past. He was tall, at least 6'2" which was a bit taller than Rei and a few inches above Tyson.

"And, I don't think I've had the pleasure," said Rei as he extended his hand to the woman next to Kai. She was absolutely glowing. Her long brown hair reached the middle of her shoulder blades and her green eyes sparkled like emeralds. Her skin was milky and soft as she shook Rei's hand, her green dress flowing around her pregnant form.

"Rei, this is…"

"Dude, you knocked up your girlfriend!" yelled Daichi, interrupting Kai's introduction. "And here Hilary thought you were gay!"

"Daichi, you little…!" yelled Hilary.

"Tactful, Daichi," laughed Max.

Kai looked a little irritated, his eyes closing in his trademark 'Kai-ness.'

"Из всех глупых, незрелых, идиотичных вещей, которые ублюдок мог сказать1...," mumbled Kai.

"Kai," said the woman, placing her hand on his arm, rubbing it in a soothing motion, "it's alright. He must be Daichi, right?"

Kai smirked. "Yeah, that's Daichi Sumeragi, Tyson Granger, Rei Kon, Max Tate, Hilary Tatibana, and Kenny…," he indicated each person as he introduced them, "well, we always called him 'The Chief.' I don't really know what his last name is." The woman laughed gently at his words and he smiled slightly back at her. "Everyone, I would like you to meet my wife, Anastasiya."

"Konban wa," she said bowing as far as her large stomach would allow. "It is nice to meet you"

"Wait a minute," said Tyson stunned, "you're married?"

"A little over a year," said Kai, slipping his arm around Anastasiya's waist.

"And we weren't invited to your wedding?" asked Max, somewhat hurt sounding.

Kai's face became irritated and he opened his mouth to respond, but Anastasiya cut him off. "Kai fought Mr. Dickenson for days. I have never seen him so angry," she said sadly. "We wanted to invite you to Russia for our wedding, but _that man _wouldn't allow us to give out the location of where Kai is being hidden. We discussed waiting until we could see you all, but at the time we didn't know how long that would be." She looked sadly at her husband before turning her gaze to the group. "I hope you understand."

Hilary walked forward and carefully gave the woman a hug. "We completely understand," she said. "I just can't believe Mr. Dickenson would do that to you two. Tell me you at least got to wear a wedding dress."

Anastasiya smiled and nodded her head. "We even had our first dance," she said smiling. Kai smiled down at her.

"Oh, you have to tell me all about it! What song was it?" asked Hilary.

Anastasiya smiled at her new friend. "_At Last_ by Ella Fitagerald."

"Oh, I love that song," said Hillary taking Anyastasiya's hand. "Kai, why don't I introduce your stunning wife to the girls while you catch up with the guys?"

Kai looked at Hilary. "I don't know, isn't that supposed to be my job?"

"Kai, catch up with your friends," said Anastasiya kindly. "It's alright, I can manage."

"Anastasiya…"

"Kai," she said softly, "it's ok. We're safe here."

Kai seemed to think for a moment. "Alright."

Hilary and Anastasiya started to walk away when they overheard Anastasiya, "Now who is this Mariah? Kai said I would like her."

Kai turned back to his friends. "It's been a long time."

"Enough time for you to meet someone and get married," giggled Max.

"Heard you were engaged," said Kai to Rei.

"Yep," Rei smiled and looked to where Mariah, Hilary, Anastasiya, and several other female beybladers had congregated, ogling over Mariah and Anastasiya's rings. "So, has Dickenson really been keeping you under lock and key?"

"Ever since I was dragged out of Japan, I have had someone watching me every second," said Kai. "Luckily, we were able to get a house in Russia once we got married. Now, we just have guards around the house all the time, but at least we have some space."

"Speaking of space," said Tyson wiggling his eyebrows, "how far along is she?"

"Stop picturing my wife naked or I'll remove your eyes," said Kai calmly.

"Ah, I knew you missed me."

Kai let a small smile grace his face. "Thirty-four weeks."

"Really, what are going to name it?" asked Max.

"If it is a girl, Nadia, and if it is a boy, we're kinda stuck there. She likes the name Guo but I like the name Nikolai, so we haven't quite decided yet."

"Wait, if you've been under house arrest, how did you meet her?" asked Kenny.

Kai smirked. "She's the daughter of the guard Dickenson put in charge of my care," he said, "so I saw her a lot."

"So it was a small wedding then?" asked Rei.

"Yeah, just her parents and the priest."

"No Dickenson?"

"He wasn't invited," Kai said venomously.

"So if Dickenson wouldn't let us come to you for your wedding, how did you get to come to this?" asked Tyson.

"There are guards stationed at every entrance," said Kai exasperated. "He says we should be alright here, but tomorrow it's back to Khabarovsk."

"I thought you weren't allowed to tell us where you're hiding," said Daichi. "Mr. D said!"

"Screw him," said Kai.

"You and Stanley don't get along very well, do you?" asked Max.

"Never have, never will," said Kai venomously.

"Well, if nothing else, at least you found someone, Kai," said Rei. "I'm really happy for you."

"Thanks," said Kai before smiling.

Suddenly, shots filled the air soon followed by screams and people diving to the floor. Rei looked up to see a man firing wildly into the party and Kai getting into a crouch position. He could only stare wide-eyed as Kai pulled a handgun from a hidden holster on his belt before firing at the man, hitting him in the shoulder and knocking him to the ground.

The Bladebreakers were up in a flash, each checking the people around them. Kai bolted for the assailant and kicked away his weapon before picking him up by the collar, slamming him into the wall nearby. The man winced in pain as his shoulder collided with the offending object.

"What are you doing here?" asked Kai roughly. He couldn't be completely sure, but he suspected this guy was hired by Voltaire to track him down.

"Nice to see you again, Master Kai," said the man in glee-filled voice, though his face was screwed up in pain.

Kai recognized the man; they had grown up in the Abbey together, sharing the same cell for about a year. He had been a brown-nosing little fool who always tried to impress Boris no matter what it took. "I'll ask you again," said Kai angrily, pushing the man harder against the wall, "what are you doing here? Who sent you?"

"You truly have gotten soft," laughed the man as he gasped for air. "Who do you think sent me?"

"Why?!" yelled Kai.

"To kill you, of course," smiled the man.

"Well apparently Boris is getting desperate to use an unskilled marksman like you," growled Kai. "You didn't even shoot in my direction."

Kai's body tensed as his assailant began to laugh wildly. After getting himself under control, he smiled evilly at the Russian blader. "I may have missed your body, Hiwatari, but I didn't miss your heart," and with that, he began to laugh again.

Kai glowered at the man in confusion before a yell caught his attention. "KAI!"

He turned his head at the sound of Rei's desperate voice only to feel his heart sink into his stomach. Rei was kneeling over a crying Anastasiya, pressing his bloody hands against a hole in her left rib cage just above her swollen stomach.

"No," he whispered as he took in the horrifying sight. "No!" He threw the shooter to the floor, causing him to land on his injured shoulder and cry out in pain. Kai paid no notice, though. His only focus at that moment was on his bleeding wife. He dropped to his knees when he finally reached her, trying to pull anything out of his memories on how to treat a gunshot wound in the field. "It's going to be ok, Stasiya, just hold on, хорошо?2"

Rei moved out of Kai's way to allow him to work on his wife. Mariah sat behind him and wrapped her arms around his shoulders as they both watched, silently praying that it would all turn out for the better. Both felt helpless as they watched Kai rip one of his sleeves from his shirt with shaking hands before applying pressure to the wound, stammering reassurances in Russian as Anastasiya continued to cry.

"Kai, the baby?" she asked in a raspy voice, "Is the baby ok?"

"I think so, but right now I am worried about you, alright," said Kai.

Tears began to fill Mariah's eyes as she watched the scene unfold. She had never seen Kai act like this, the usually cool, collected beyblader was shaking, his eyes and voice filled with worry. The only thing that set him apart from the rest of the crowd was his dry eyes. Everyone else was crying, either due to the scare they just had or the fear they felt for Anastasiya or another one of the injured.

"Kai, я не могу дышать3!"

"Kuru, Anastasiya, Вы должны остаться со мной4! I need you to stay awake!" Kai said calmly, yet frantically at the same time as Anastasiya's eyes began to close and she started to cough.

Rei and Mariah looked on in horror as Anastasiya's blood began to ooze through Kai's fingers and seep from her lips.

"No, Stasiya…" said Kai.

"Kai?" asked Mariah.

"It hit her lung," said Kai, his voice still eerily calm. "She needs to get to a doctor, now, or she is going to drown." With that, he carefully picked her up, bridal style, and began carrying her to the door. She clung to him like her lifeline, her fingers weakly gripping his shirt.

"I'll drive you," said Rei, pulling himself from the floor.

"Thanks."

Rei went to open the door for Kai only to have it burst open, paramedics flooding in with kits in hand. Without a word to Kai, the EMT's took Anastasiya from his arms and placed her on a gurney, yelling in Chinese to the others. They began to roll her out the door to the awaiting ambulance. Kai started to follow before a short, squat, white-haired man pushed him back into the room.

"Kai," said Mr. Dickenson in a parenting tone, "I need you to stay here. The police are going to need to question you."

"But Stasiya…" began Kai.

"This could all be a ploy to get you into the open," said Mr. Dickenson. "It is safer for you here."

"And what about Anastasiya," said Kai, his voice becoming harsh and deep as he watched his pail wife being pulled into the elevator. Her eyes were glazed over as unconsciousness began to overtake her.

"I'm sorry, Kai, but you need to stay here where it is safe."

"How can you call a place that was just involved in a shooting safe?" Kai said, the volume of his voice rising.

"The guards are here, so you will be here," said Mr. Dickenson, his face becoming red in frustration and his voice becoming more authoritative with every word. "No one will get past those guards."

"They already did!" yelled Kai. "Vladislav already made it past _your_ guards and shot _my _wife!"

"Kai, I am ordering you to stay here!" yelled Dickenson.

"Fuck your orders," said Kai, pushing the old man out of his way and running out the door, leaving a stunned crowd in his wake. He raced down the stairs three at a time and burst through the front door of the hotel only to see the ambulance with his wife pull out into the busy street, its siren blaring.

"No," said Kai. He had no idea where the ambulance was going or any way to get there. He readied himself and was just about to start running through the rain after the vehicle when a strong hand grabbed his arm.

Kai swung his arm around to free himself. "Dickenson, I told you I am going to the hospital!" He turned to face the man only to meet amber eyes.

"How about a ride then?" asked Rei, Mariah at his side.

* * *

They had been at the hospital for three hours with no word on Anastasiya's condition. Rei had been carefully watching Kai, worried about his friend's mental status. He hadn't spoken since they had arrived except to the police, answering their questions in short and simple answers. This would normally be seen as regular behavior for Kai, but he hadn't looked away from his hands since their arrival. Mariah had convinced him to wash the blood from them and change his clothes after the others had arrived, but he was staring at them as if the blood would reappear.

"Kai," said Rei, trying to pull the blader from his thoughts with comforting words, "Kai?" He would not respond to the nekojin. Rei let out a small sigh as Hillary approached. "How is everyone else?" he asked.

Hillary gave him a small smile. "Robert was only grazed along his arm and Dunga was hit in the leg. Both are going to make a full recovery. Now we just have to wait for Anastasiya." Rei gave her a smile and she left to sit with Mariah, knowing only Rei could reach Kai now.

"Kai," Rei tried again, "everything is going to be alright."

"You don't know that," said Kai, his voice so deep it was amazing the man could speak at all.

"Your right, I don't," he said comfortingly, happy to have his friend talking, "but I believe that things will turn out somehow. The fact that we haven't heard anything yet is a good thing. It means she is fighting. She is still surviving."

"I know that," said Kai, his eyes still on his hands, "but all of my training is yelling that she lost too much blood, that she was struck in too critical of an area. I want to believe, Rei; I'm trying to believe, but I know too much."

"You also know that people have survived worse," said Rei, placing a hand on Kai's shoulder. "You just have to have faith."

Kai finally removed his eyes from his hands and looked at Rei, nearly frightening the nekojin. Though his face was stoic as ever, the despair in the Russian's eyes was devastating. "I hope you're right, Rei."

The two sat silently side-by-side for the next hour before the doors to the OR opened and a surgeon stepped out. "I'm looking for the family of Anastasiya Hiwatari."

The large group of bladers watched as Kai slowly rose to his feet and approached the doctor. "I'm Kai Hiwatari, Anastasiya's husband."

"Would you come with me please?" asked the doctor opening the swinging doors to the OR, leading Kai a through. Rei stood up and approached the doors, looking through the pane of Plexiglas. He could see the doctor and Kai standing a short way down the corridor.

Though Rei couldn't hear the conversation, he knew exactly what was being said. The doctor squeezed the bridge of his nose before beginning to speak, obviously telling Kai about the surgery. Rei could feel his body tense as the doctor continued to talk, slowly approaching Kai who stared directly into the doctor's eyes. It was only when the surgeon placed his hand on Kai's shoulder and the Russian's eyes grew wide did Rei finally understand.

He watched as Kai pushed away the doctor's hand and backed himself away from the man until his back hit the wall. The doctor continued to talk as Kai slowly slid to the floor, his face in his hands. Rei couldn't help it as his eyes began to tear at the sight of his stoic friend's wall breaking for the first time since he had met him.

"Rei?" came Mariah's voice as the group watched his reaction. "Rei, what is it?"

But Rei never had to answer. An eerie sound filled the corridors and waiting room of the OR, sounds of utter despair and loss, the sounds of Kai's heart wrenching cries. Though they were short lived, no one would ever forget their sound. No one could look at each other as they realized what had happened. Anastasiya Hiwatari had not made it.

Mariah came up behind Rei and looked through the window to see Kai, now alone, sitting on the hall floor, utterly silent. "Should we go and get him?" Rei didn't say anything. "Rei?"

"I don't know," he said. He didn't know whether to leave the Russian alone or go and give him comfort. He had never seen a situation when Kai was like this. He didn't know how the man would react.

Before he had the time to act, however, he and Mariah watched as a nurse approached Kai, a little blue blanket in her arms. Kai stood up, his eyes in apprehensive awe, as he hesitantly took the bundle from the nurse and held it close to his chest. The nurse said a few things before ushering him into one of the rooms and closing the door, only leaving it open a sliver. She looked toward the door and saw Rei and Mariah. Smiling, she waved them in.

The pair pushed the swinging door and moved toward the nurse. Quietly, the nurse informed them that Anastasiya had died during surgery from blood loss. Her heart just stopped beating.

"Were they able to save their baby?"

The nurse smiled. "He's in with daddy right now," she said looking at the door she had led Kai to. "He looks like a good kid, much too young to be a single dad already. Watch out for him for me, alright?"

Rei returned the woman's smile. "I promise."

Rei turned to find Mariah sitting next to the door, smiling. She waved Rei over but motioned for him to be quiet. As he drew near, he began to hear a soft, musical sound. It was a deep sound, but soothing to hear. "What is that?" asked Rei.

Mariah smiled. "Kai is singing," she whispered.

Rei listened closely and indeed could make out the words Kai was singing in a rich tone to his new son.

"…I found a dream that I can speak to  
A dream that I could call my own  
I found a thrill to press my cheek to  
A thrill that I have never known

You smiled, and then the spell was cast  
And here we are in heaven  
And you are mine

At last."

There was a short silence before Rei and Mariah heard Kai speak. "That was your mother's favorite song. She said it reminded her of me. It reminded me of her, but now it is your song, little one. I'm gonna teach you all about your mama. I'm gonna raise you like she would have liked, my little phoenix. My Guo."

Rei leaned against the wall and sighed. Kai had named him Guo and he was indeed like a phoenix; a new life raising from death, bringing with it a new hope.

* * *

Alright, please let me know what you think. Let me know if you can think of anything for the ending. I feel as though I rushed it a little.

Translations:

1-Of all the stupid, immature, idiotic things that bastard could say...

2-Ok

3-Kai, I can't breathe!

4-Come on (Japanese), Anastasiya, you have to stay with me (Russian).

After an accident at a beyblading reunion, who will continue standing? A sad one-shot about Kai. A little Kai OOCness, but don't judge it on that. A little Rei:Mariah on the side. Based off of a song and a picture.


End file.
